Glorious Goodwood Special - Friday
Day Four of Glorious Goodwood and you will note that I will have my two main tips to start things off – and as an added bonus, I will be covering the rest of the card in brief.
If I find plenty of winners that is a good thing – if I don’t, maybe not, but only time will tell on that one!
If the betting is to be believed then the 2.25pm is all over before the stalls open with Nostrum set to go off odds-on in this field. One of the top two year olds last season, he didn’t reappear until July when strolling home in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket and if he is the Group One performer connections believe, then he ought to win this with his head in his chest regardless of the ground
Nostrum to win 2.25pm Goodwood
It could be naive in the extreme to assume the favourites will win this afternoon, but it is still difficult to oppose Highfield Princess here with so many things seemingly in her favour. Admittedly she is yet to win this season, but her third to Khaadem in the Group One Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot stands out here, and she has already won at a higher level on soft ground (in the Dubai Flying Five at The Curragh, by over three lengths), making this drop in class a race connections would expect to win. She is officially 7lb or more better than her opponents on official ratings at these weights, and with a low draw in three stall seen by many as a bonus, she may land the odds and leave the bookies licking their wounds.
Highfield Princess to win 3.35pm Goodwood
The Rest Of The Goodwood Card In Brief - Friday
1.50pm
A horrible race to start the day with two and a half miles on soft ground a very serios stamina test expected to see these strung out like the washing. At the early prices I quite like the look of Tritonic, a winner on soft ground over hurdles, and looking well handicapped to me after his good third off a pound lower at Ascot last time out. He is rated 17lb better than Aggaggio over hurdles yet only has to give that rival, who is shorter in the betting, 14lb today, and with plenty in his favour he could go well at a double figure price.
Tritonic each way
3.00pm
A conundrum of a contest but one where I am just about willing to give another chance to the Charlie Hills trained Racingbreaks Ryder. The son of Fast Company rattled off three wins in a row earlier in the season before something looked amiss when he trailed in 46 lengths behind the winner in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot. That was on rattling fast ground but his four wins have been on good or soft ground (three of them) and he has conditions back in his favour now. Given over a month off to recover before his next assignment, Connor Planas takes 5lb off his back this afternoon, and at 20/1 he could surprise a good few of these.
4.10pm
Another short priced favourite has me worried with more rain expected between now and race time, but it does look as if connections made the right move by taking Hamish out of the King George on Saturday to aim him at this lesser contest. It is still a Group Three so it is no “gimmee”, but he does seem at his best on ground with plenty of cut in it, and stays further with extra stamina possibly required on this slower ground. New London is his biggest market rival but his best form is on quicker ground, though I can see no reason to change my selection here.
Hamish to win
4.45pm
Not a race to go mad in with a winner at odds of 22/1alst year and most of these yet to face ground as slow as they will get this afternoon, but if you want to have a few pennies each way at a bigger price, Dapper Valleycould go well. Hatem won for the yard here on Tuesday and this son of Dandy Man did win first time out with ease on (you guessed it) soft ground at Newbury. Tried in Listed class since his reins snapped at Sandown before he was outpaced close home back at Newbury, but he gets what may be his ground this afternoon and drops into handicap company for the first time. A mark of 87 may yet prove generous but at 16/1 he is not one to get too excited about.
Dapper Valley each way
5.20pm
A 14 runner field and I can only find TWO who have won on the soft ground forecast this afternoon suggesting once again, us punters are up against it. One of those is favourite Nader king, and the other Maso Bastie, who is yet to prove he really stays this far. Neither really appeal that much at the prices and I’ll be risking a little each way on Dancing in Paris instead. He does try this trip for the first time which is a bit of a concern, but he ran on late when second over a furlong shorter at Sandown last month on good to soft, and is a son of Olympic glory who strolled home on soft ground in the Group One QEII Stakes at Ascot in 2013 and on heavy in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp as a juvenile, so there are plenty of reasons to hope he will lap up more cut in the turf this afternoon.
Dancing in Paris each way
Comments